- present participle of surround.
surrounding
Americannoun
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something that surrounds.
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surroundings, environing things, circumstances, conditions, etc.; environment.
He was too sick to be aware of his surroundings.
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the act of encircling or enclosing.
adjective
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enclosing or encircling.
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being the environment or adjacent area.
Synonym Usage
See environment.
Etymology
Origin of surrounding
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: literally “inundation”; see origin at surround, -ing 1, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That project was put on hold after two steel columns buckled, forcing an evacuation of nine surrounding buildings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The UK government said it was in contact with the French authorities to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Vanda Research has been monitoring activity among individual investors for any signs of a comeback as the U.S. stock market pulls back this month amid volatility surrounding the artificial-intelligence trade.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
But while the landmark itself underwent years of painstaking conservation, which was recently halted at 90% complete, the arts campus surrounding it evolved in fits and starts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The afternoon was alive with the racket of a thousand different songbirds calling to us from the grove, surrounding us with their chants, their hymns, their lullabies.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
